Choosing someone to oversee the project and work in tandem with your commercial movers is critical. This person needs to have a management style that works with the company’s atmosphere and be skilled at delegating tasks effectively.
A project manager wears many hats throughout your office move, and they act as a single point of contact for all vendors. They are also the ultimate problem solver when unexpected challenges arise. Contact your local Movers in Warren MI to learn more.
Internal Team
Relocating a business is a complex and massive project that impacts every department. It’s far too big for any one person to handle, and it requires the support of a strong internal team.
The first step in building an effective commercial moving project team is identifying who should be involved and what their roles will be. Ideally, you want to include representatives from each department and management level that will have an impact on the move, including IT, finance, marketing, HR and more. In addition, it’s important to have a dedicated project leader who will be the central point of contact for updates and acts as liaison between the internal office move team and external suppliers.
While you’ll have an internal office move project manager, it is critical that each department designates a Move Champion who will act as their liaison to the project team and manage their own departments’ requirements. Department representatives should also meet regularly (at least bi-weekly during planning, and weekly as the move approaches) to share progress and update the team on their specific needs.
Another vital role is the project sponsor, who will be responsible for developing and maintaining a timeline and budget and monitoring progress throughout the process. They will also be the point of contact for any issues that arise and ensure that they are handled promptly to minimize disruptions and impact on the business.
Managing an office relocation is like juggling multiple balls at once, and it can be difficult to keep track of what’s happening when so many different projects are underway. Having a centralized communication hub is essential to keeping everyone informed, which can be accomplished with a shared workspace, intranet page or project management tool that can house updates, FAQs and more.
While the initial cost of hiring a professional office move project manager may seem steep, most small businesses find that it pays for itself through the reduction in employee downtime and avoidable equipment damage, efficient vendor coordination, and avoiding expensive emergency solutions when things go wrong. In fact, we often see that the peace of mind and guaranteed results far outweigh the upfront investment.
External Team
Office relocations are complex projects that require coordination of multiple tasks and deadlines. They include physical logistics (furniture, IT infrastructure), employee communications and coordination, facility coordination, and business continuity planning. Without structured project management, office moves become chaotic and expensive. Unorganized projects experience missed timelines leading to lease penalties, extended project durations resulting in unnecessary expense and loss of productivity, vendor confusion caused by unclear communication, and project scope creep that causes delays and cost overruns.
A strong project leader can help to alleviate these issues by managing timelines, overseeing budgets, and providing a central contact point for internal and external teams. A well-rounded team also includes a representative from human resources to facilitate employee communications and ensure the new space is set up to support productivity and morale. An IT specialist is important to manage furniture and IT documentation, including inventory and asset tracking. This is often done through a centralized cloud or shared drive folder to simplify tracking and improve collaboration. A single version of truth for all documents is key to ensuring a successful move. It’s essential to share access with all stakeholders, version control critical files, and backup regularly.
While many companies are capable of handling their own office moves, the majority choose to engage an experienced professional project manager. Project managers bring a level of expertise that comes from years of completing hundreds of relocations. They have proven methodologies that allow them to anticipate problems before they occur and efficiently handle them when they do.
When you partner with a qualified project management company, the benefits are substantial. They can save you time, money and stress by delivering a high-quality project on-time and within budget. They also provide a higher level of accountability, reducing the confusion and finger-pointing that is typical of self-managed relocations. In most cases, the upfront investment in a project manager will pay for itself by reducing costly delays caused by equipment damage or lost productivity during the move process. In addition, they have relationships with vetted vendors and can negotiate discounted pricing for services that you would otherwise pay for on your own.
Vendors
Office moving is a massive project with far-reaching impacts. It’s not a one-person job and it requires a team of highly skilled, well-coordinated professionals to manage all the different aspects and tasks. A good project leader will ensure a cohesive and collaborative effort. This can be enhanced by leveraging technology tools that allow for shared access to important documents and status updates (e.g., budgets, timelines, contracts, floor plans, checklists). The key is to create a single source of truth and to control access by role or need.
A good project lead will also make it a priority to establish and maintain strong relationships with the key internal stakeholders involved in the move. This includes department representatives, IT and facilities teams, human resources, real estate and legal representatives. They will meet regularly with each group to share updates, discuss requirements and ensure that everyone has the information they need.
In addition, the project lead will be responsible for selecting and briefing external vendors such as movers, real estate brokers, IT specialists and design teams. They will work closely with these vendors to ensure that they understand the business needs and to establish realistic timelines, milestones and expectations for all parties. They will also ensure that contractual penalties are in place for critical schedule delays and ensure that all risk is being appropriately managed.
An experienced commercial moving company with a proven relocation management methodology can offer a lot of value during the move process. Their expertise and deep understanding of complex logistics, vendor coordination and business continuity can help to de-risk the overall project and deliver a high-quality experience. Look for a partner that can offer streamlined communications and coordination, a full-lifecycle leadership approach and deep vendor relationships across the country. These are the hallmarks of a true strategic partner that will deliver value through a streamlined, collaborative and transparent office move process.
Communication
A relocation isn’t just boxes and movers—it’s a project that requires a wide range of skills to succeed. From coordinating with vendors to ensuring IT systems are up and running at the new location to updating business address information with clients, there’s a lot to manage during an office move. Without dedicated project management, even small missteps can quickly snowball into missed deadlines and costly delays. A project manager with strong communication skills can keep the entire process moving forward smoothly.
As with any project, it’s critical to have regular team meetings during the office move planning phase. This is not only a time to discuss any concerns, but it’s also an opportunity to make sure the team is on track with their tasks. During these team meetings, a project manager can ensure everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities during the office move.
Another important part of the office move plan is to create an office moving checklist and to-do list. This will help your team stay organized and ensure no items are forgotten. This can be done via email, at a company or department-wide meeting, or through a team leader. The goal is to provide an easy-to-follow document for everyone during the office move that’s updated regularly.
Having a shared drive or cloud folder for all of your move documents is another great way to keep things organized and ensure they’re never lost during the office move. This can be a place for all of your project plans, timelines, budgets, vendor contracts and proposals, floor plans, checklists, and other important documentation. You can control access based on role, version control, and back up your information regularly to prevent any data loss during the move.
After your office moves, it’s important to follow up with employees and external stakeholders to let them know where they can find their new desks and get settled in. You can also send a survey or email to gather feedback on the office move plan and ask for any suggestions to improve future moves. This is an excellent way to ensure your company has a positive reputation for office moving planning.